Pennod 7 Aled Jones: Fy Nhaith Glasurol

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-Hello, I'm Aled Jones.

-I'm glad you could join me

-on my classical journey.

-In this series,

-we'll get to know the composers...

-..who were inspired

-by the world around them.

-We will visit the cities

-in which their work was performed...

-..and get to know the greats

-a little better.

-Before travelling the world,

-I'm back in familiar surroundings.

-This is Beaumaris Castle

-on Anglesey, my birthplace.

-Wales, land of song,

-and its musical tradition...

-..is the focus

-of our first programme.

-On my return, it's easy to see

-why views such as these...

-..leave a lasting impression

-on a person.

-Wales's landscape

-has inspired many a composer.

-It has certainly been a great

-influence on my musical career.

-Music is important to us

-as a nation.

-All our music festivals

-are testament to that.

-Llangollen, the Eisteddfodau

-and the Cerdd Dant Festival.

-Our hymns are even regarded

-as classics in themselves.

-Music is in our blood.

-Wales has produced

-many renowned singers...

-..such as Geraint Evans, Tom Jones,

-Bryn Terfel, Katherine Jenkins...

-..and a little boy

-by the name of Aled Jones too!

-It was here in Llandegfan...

-..a quiet rural village,

-that I was born and raised.

-The views of Snowdonia...

-..are worth seeing

-at any time of year.

-Across the Menai Strait is the city

-of Bangor with its famous pier...

-..that was restored

-during my youth.

-Bangor Pier

-is the second largest in Wales.

-Like many British piers, it was

-at risk of closure in the 1970s.

-But it survived

-and is still as popular.

-This is a very familiar road.

-For many years

-my parents would take me...

-..to choir practice and

-church services at St Deiniol's...

-..one of

-the oldest churches in Britain.

-This is Bangor Cathedral,

-a very important place in my life.

-I have fond memories

-of singing here...

-..on a Tuesday, Thursday, Friday,

-Saturday and twice on a Sunday.

-It was built during

-the mid-12th century...

-..though the church

-dates back many centuries to 525...

-..some 70 years earlier than

-the church at Canterbury Cathedral.

-It's nice knowing

-that so many have been united...

-..by this building

-over the centuries.

-It will certainly

-remain part of my life for ever.

-It has been dedicated

-to St Deiniol...

-..who established

-the first monastery.

-He became the first

-Archbishop of Bangor in 546.

-Since then, the building

-has been destroyed many times.

-Firstly by the Vikings

-in the 11th century...

-..then King John's men in the 13thC

-and Glyndwr's army in the 15thC.

-But thankfully

-it has been restored each time.

-When I first walked in here

-all those years ago...

-..I thought this was

-the largest cathedral in Britain!

-Though small...

-..what I like most about it

-is the peace and tranquillity.

-Without this building...

-..I doubt I would have progressed

-with my music career.

-Another

-of my favourite cathedrals...

-..which is considerably larger

-than St Deiniol's, is St Paul's.

-The brainchild

-of Sir Christopher Wren...

-..this building has witnessed many

-momentous events in British history.

-The marriage of Prince Charles to

-Diana Spencer was one such occasion.

-A special anthem

-was written for the ceremony...

-..by Welsh composer,

-William Mathias.

-Following the wedding, he

-became known throughout the world.

-Mathias was one of Wales's most

-renowned composers of the 20thC.

-I was privileged to know him...

-..since he too lived on Anglesey.

-This is the house in which he lived,

-five minutes from my family's home.

-His wife, Yvonne,

-was my singing teacher...

-..at a significant time in my career

-when my voice broke.

-I remember him listening

-to my lessons with a G&T in hand!

-William was familiar

-with Wales's musical traditions.

-He would compare himself

-to the old bards...

-..in the way he wrote

-devotional and secular music.

-He believed there was

-little difference between them.

-His most famous work

-is the wedding anthem...

-..Let The People Praise Thee,

-O God.

-But his musical styles were varied.

-By the time of his death in 1992,

-he was internationally renowned.

-He wished to be known

-as a Welsh musician...

-..and acknowledged his Celtic roots,

-but he was no nationalist.

-He had been influenced

-by international composers...

-..such as Britten, Tippett,

-Stravinsky and Gershwin.

-However, he was greatly inspired

-by medieval Welsh literature...

-..and held it in high esteem.

-It is those elements

-of early Welsh poetry...

-..which provided the basis for

-his 1972 work, Elegy For A Prince...

-..composed for

-a baritone voice and an orchestra.

-William began composing

-at an early age.

-One of his earliest works

-included a concerto for the violin.

-A recent recording was made

-and released on the Naxos label.

-One critic lauded

-his confident composing technique.

-Praise indeed for a boy of 17.

-His wife, Yvonne,

-was a competent teacher.

-She was awarded an MBE...

-..for her contribution to music

-and the arts in North Wales.

-William

-was always on hand with advice.

-I'm so proud to have played a small

-part in Wales's musical tradition...

-..and to have had

-a personal connection with William.

-His daughter, Rhiannon,

-is continuing the tradition.

-She is a talented musician.

-Like her father,

-she has gained a doctorate in music.

-William

-spent most of his life in Wales.

-Originally from Whitland...

-..be became a music teacher

-at Bangor between 1970 and 1988.

-He founded the North Wales

-Music Festival in St Asaph in 1972.

-He continued in the role of director

-until his death.

-The music festival

-still carries on to this day...

-..and is testament to Mathias's

-contribution to classical music.

-He wanted to lay firm foundations...

-..on which

-Wales's young musicians...

-..could develop and become

-part of a strong musical culture.

-I love coming back to Anglesey...

-..not just because

-my family is here...

-..but it allows me

-to reconnect with my birthplace...

-..and those places

-that have inspired me.

-This has been a worthwhile beginning

-to my classical journey.

-These views that surround me

-were part of my upbringing.

-They have since become part of me.

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-London is where

-I currently live and work.

-Next, we head to a city where

-Johannes Brahms was brought up.

-This is Hamburg,

-Germany's second largest city...

-..and an important

-industrial centre.

-Its busy port

-is the fourth largest in Europe...

-..yet the city manages to retain

-a certain charm and beauty.

-Around four million tourists

-visit Hamburg each year.

-They come here to enjoy

-many of the city's attractions.

-Historical buildings,

-churches, cultural festivals...

-..and plenty or musical outlets -

-from classical to contemporary.

-Having one internationally-acclaimed

-orchestra isn't enough for Hamburg.

-It has three.

-The North German Radio

-Symphony Orchestra...

-..the Hamburg Symphonic Orchestra...

-..and the Hamburg

-Philharmonic Orchestra...

-..conducted by Simone Young.

-The Beatles' tour of Hamburg's

-club circuit brought them fame.

-They released their first single and

-later there was no stopping them.

-In terms of classical music...

-..Hamburg is famous as

-the birthplace of Johannes Brahms...

-..and Felix Mendelssohn.

-Despite Brahms's poor upbringing,

-his talent prospered.

-The Speckstrasse - the house

-and street in which he was born...

-..was destroyed during WWII.

-It was an ordinary house.

-Today, a new house

-has been erected in its place...

-..and a memorial stone

-to commemorate his birthplace.

-Brahms's father had broken family

-tradition in terms of profession.

-He chose a career as

-a professional musician in Hamburg.

-He married Johanna Nissen in 1830.

-Three years later,

-Johannes was born.

-Unlike many

-of the great composers...

-..Johannes Brahms

-had a happy childhood.

-When they realized

-his musical talent...

-..the family made sacrifices...

-..to support his development.

-At 10, he was

-so proficient on the piano...

-..that they envisaged a bright

-future for their gifted son.

-At 15, he was making a name for

-himself in Hamburg's music circles.

-He was destined for greatness.

-He embarked on his first

-concert tour at the age of 20.

-It was during this time

-that he met Joseph Joachim...

-..who later

-introduced him to Franz Liszt.

-Liszt had

-already established himself...

-..as a prominent pianist

-and composer.

-But strangely enough, Brahms

-was indifferent to Liszt's work.

-From an early age...

-..he tended to emulate the composers

-of the classical period.

-It was Joachim who also introduced

-Brahms to the two Schumanns.

-It became an influential step.

-A short distance

-from the family's former home...

-..is the Johannes Brahms Museum

-located in the Peterstrasse.

-Close by is another museum...

-..celebrating the life of

-composer Georg Philipp Telemann.

-The museum is housed in one of

-Hamburg's old merchants' houses.

-The house was built

-during the mid-18th century...

-..and is much grander than anything

-Brahms would have known as a boy.

-The museum's extensive collection...

-..includes music,

-concert programmes and photographs.

-Brahms was a popular subject

-for photographers.

-One of the most precious things here

-is this spectacular piano...

-..manufactured by

-Baumgardten & Heins.

-Brahms used it

-for his piano lessons.

-It was on this piano that Brahms

-played his Concerto in D Minor...

-..for the first time in 1859.

-It's little wonder this is the

-most precious object in the museum.

-In his early twenties, Brahms was

-very friendly with Joseph Joachim...

-..one of the era's great composers.

-When the two

-were in their forties...

-..Brahms composed

-his only concerto for the violin...

-..and dedicated it to Joachim.

-Brahms allowed Joachim to compose

-the famous cadenza for the violin.

-The score is kept at the museum.

-According to one critic of the time,

-Joachim's performance of the work...

-..was a spiritual interpretation.

-Nearby is a square that was

-renamed after the composer...

-..on the 100th anniversary

-of his death.

-There is a passionate statue

-paying homage to Brahms...

-..which encapsulates his life.

-This piece of modern art

-depicting the composer's face...

-..is situated next to Hamburg's

-main concert hall, the Musikhalle.

-Inside the concert hall

-is a classical statue of Brahms...

-..sculpted by Max Klinger.

-No doubt Brahms would have much

-preferred this statue of himself.

-At one time, the citizens of Hamburg

-were reluctant to embrace Brahms.

-The dignitaries were unhappy

-that he had moved out of the city.

-In spite of that, he was made

-an honorary citizen in 1889...

-..eight years before he died.

-He had always

-spoken fondly of his birthplace.

-Brahms knew only too well where

-Europe's musical heart was beating.

-He headed to Vienna.

-Central to Brahms's life and work...

-..was his relationship

-with Clara Schumann...

-..who was 14 years his senior.

-Clara was born here in Leipzig.

-Her father, a piano teacher,

-taught her to play.

-She could play the piano

-before she could talk.

-She played in public

-at the age of 10.

-It was during this time that Robert

-Schumann turned up at her home.

-He was 10 years her senior at 18.

-He began piano lessons.

-He was

-instantly attracted to Clara...

-..and vowed to marry her.

-She was a talented pianist and

-was bombarded with concert requests.

-She was also an excellent composer.

-A hand injury

-put paid to Robert playing...

-..so he

-turned his attention to composing.

-Clara supported him

-unconditionally.

-They soon became renowned

-in the classical world.

-But he was plagued by mental illness

-and suicidal tendencies.

-When he eventually committed suicide

-in 1854...

-..Clara started a relationship

-with Brahms.

-They often toured

-and went on holiday together.

-For Clara,

-who was 14 years older...

-..their union was

-more about companionship than love.

-But Brahms had fallen

-head over heels in love.

-On the outskirts of Rudesheim...

-..on the banks of the Rhine, is

-a popular path named after Brahms.

-He spent many holidays here...

-..and stayed at this villa which

-faces the Rhine and local vineyards.

-The path begins here

-and ends just above the vineyards.

-For centuries the area

-has been famous for its wines...

-..and this famous sculpture.

-The Niederwald Monument Germania

-overlooks the Rhine.

-It was erected in the late 1700s...

-..to commemorate

-the founding of the German Empire...

-..and the country's unity.

-Brahms and Clara Schumann came here

-when Robert committed suicide.

-Their relationship

-was under scrutiny.

-Following Robert's suicide, Clara

-was determined to pursue her career.

-She was reluctant to remarry.

-But Brahms thought the world of her.

-His feelings are evident

-in many of his works.

-The hurt of the situation...

-..resonates in every note

-of his first piano concerto.

-Brahms embraced the energy

-and vitality Vienna had to offer.

-He was warmly welcomed there.

-The musical tradition

-was already strong.

-In turn, he would also

-leave his mark there.

-The young Brahms. This is Brahms's

-Room at the museum in Vienna.

-He shares the room

-with Joseph Haydn.

-The furniture is from

-Brahms's former home in Vienna.

-This is where he would compose...

-..and this is where

-he would smoke his pipe.

-The photographs of him

-are of a miserable old man.

-He was a difficult character...

-..but sensitive at the same time.

-He was generous

-with his time and money.

-I'm sure I would've liked him.

-This is Brahms's ink well.

-Dry ink remains at the bottom.

-Brahms was a traditionalist

-and continued to use a quill...

-..even though nib pens

-had long taken over.

-His water bottle is there too.

-He was a traditionalist

-in terms of music too...

-..gravitating towards

-classical composers...

-..such as Haydn and Mozart rather

-than contemporaries like Wagner.

-Although much of his work remains...

-..it's believed

-he composed much more.

-He was self-critical and threw

-many compositions onto the fire.

-Some months after suffering

-a stroke, poor Clara passed away.

-Brahms was bereft.

-During memorial concerts,

-his tears regularly flowed.

-It was clear that Clara Schumann

-was the love of his life...

-..because his health began to

-deteriorate after her death in 1896.

-A year later,

-the great Brahms also passed away.

-Brahms was laid to rest

-at Vienna's principal cemetery.

-A pensive statue

-adorns his simple grave.

-Beethoven, Schubert, Salieri

-and Schoenberg are also buried here.

-Though Brahms didn't die

-from a broken heart...

-..Clara's death

-certainly took its toll on him.

-He had lost his desire to compose

-and had lost the will to live.

-Join me on the second leg of my

-journey through classical music...

-..as we head to the heart of Europe

-which inspired numerous composers.

-Until then, goodbye.

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